POTTSVILLE — A legacy of hard work and civic engagement has been left behind by a pillar of the Pottsville community.

Jerry Duvall, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 66, is remembered by family and friends as a man who was committed to the success and growth of the city of Pottsville.

His dedication was evidenced by the years he spent in public service. He served 18 years as a Pottsville alderman and another 16 years as mayor.

In addition to serving as a public official, Duvall was a farmer and also worked for several years at Firestone, where he was a charter member of the Russellville Firestone United Rubber Workers union. He was also a charter member of the Pottsville Volunteer Fire Department and served as part of that department for more than 20 years.

“He was all about what’s best for the community, in his own way,” Pottsville fire chief Brad Judkins said. “He had his particular approach to how he looks at things and how he does things, but ultimately it was about what was best for the people that lived in the community of Pottsville.”

Duvall’s daughter recalled a conversation she had with her father prior to a re-election campaign.

“A few terms back, before he ran, he asked me if I thought he should run again,” Benita Drew said. “I said, ‘No, because people do not appreciate what you do.’

“He said, ‘It is not about that,’ and ran and won.

“Back then, the pay was very, very little. I doubt it even covered his expenses.”

While he was committed to Pottsville’s success, Duvall was also a family man. He married his wife, Louetta Jane Brewer Duvall, on Aug. 13, 1965.

“For all the work that Dad did, Mom did just as much by keeping everything going at home while he was volunteering,” daughter Pam Scarber said. “He wouldn’t have been able to do all that he did if he hadn’t had her support.”

Together, the two had three daughters, Scarber, Drew and Laura Porter. His daughters said Duvall enjoyed spending time with his children, making a point to attend — with rare exceptions — all of their ball games.

In fact, Duvall was instrumental in helping to build the ball fields in Pottsville in the 1980s.

Charles Oates remembered Duvall as a generous man, who lent the use of his tools and equipment to anyone who needed to use it. In addition, Oates said he was a man of character.

“I never heard him swear, I never heard him tell an off-color joke, I never heard him criticize a woman or his wife. ... He was just a good person,” Oates said.

Of course, no one is perfect, Scarber admitted, but noted her father sought to learn from his mistakes.

“If he made a mistake, he owned up to it and didn’t try to cover it up or sugarcoat it,” she said.

All in all, Duvall’s list of accomplishments in the city of Pottsville extends well beyond these pages. He left his mark on a community that will remember him for years to come, not only by the physical mark of projects completed, but also from the legacy his daughters will carry on.